1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus comprising a controller whose activation condition is set to control the processing speed of image data according to a set activation condition.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, with an increase in the speed of information processing or an increase in the amount of information as represented by the Internet, image forming apparatuses, such as digital complex machines or printers, having a scanner function, printer function, facsimile function, etc. are used in diverse business scene, and used by many users in places ranging from a small office to large-scale establishment.
On the other hand, as the users' demands on image forming apparatuses diversify, the image forming apparatuses have various kinds of functions, and a greater line up of products are in demand. Examples of such products include relatively low-price, small-size apparatuses with low print or copy speed; high-price, large-size apparatuses capable of performing high-speed processing and having many functions such as a communication network function; medium-size apparatuses positioned between them; or color or exclusively black-and-white apparatuses.
Conventionally, such an image forming apparatus is composed of a plurality of units, such as a scanner section for reading a document, a printing section for printing an image on recording paper, and an image processing section for controlling the scanner section and printing section and processing image data. A scanner section and a printing section with optimum specifications are selected and combined from a variety of specifications in accordance with a type of an image forming apparatus. Therefore, in order to control the scanner section and printing section regardless of the differences in the functions or specifications of the scanner section and printing section, the image processing section comprises a CPU that is activated in a preset activation condition, and the entire image processing section is controlled by the CPU.
Further, in the case where a plurality of units are combined, in order to simplify the management of programs or data in the apparatus, for example, there is proposed an image forming apparatus capable of simplifying the management of programs or data in a storage device between a plurality of units and preventing troubles such as erroneous operations associated with a partial change of units by providing a memory device for collectively storing programs or data for controlling other units within the main body or a main device of the image forming apparatus and transferring the stored programs or data to a rewritable memory device in another unit at the time of initialization (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-297654 (1993)).